The Comisar Journals: Big Ten Tournament EditionShoutouts for the seniors

Nov. 3, 2004

This past week was somewhat bittersweet for us. We beat Oakland 3-0, giving us a win for our last home game. It was nice to finally be involved in a game that was not just decided by one goal for a change.

However, we lost a heartbreaker in the final seconds of the game to Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The team will have to put all this behind us now as we leave for the Big Ten tournament and go for a new start at Ohio State University.

So, onto the Halloween wrap-up ...

BEST TIME OF THE YEAR
Many people would argue for holidays such as Christmas or New Year's, but I still prefer Halloween. What other holiday would it be normal to dress as Pebbles, a jailbird, a lioness, or some of the other great costumes I saw. A couple of my favorites included the man dressed as Martha Stewart, with his blond wig, garden tools, and ball-and-chain attached to his ankle, as well as our friend who dressed as The Hulk, complete with frayed jean shorts and green paint all over himself.

My real favorite was a certain person who wore a leotard with a tail attached to it ... I guess it was some sort of cat costume. Only real best friends convince people to wear leotards in public. Don't worry, the girl didn't just pull the look off, everybody loved it.

My roommates and I also had to watch a scary movie, which are my favorites. Rivas got "Candyman", and I don't know what scared me more, the movie, or her screaming all the time. She's not one for keeping her composure during those sorts of movies.

I'm not going to lie, we locked our door and we were all afraid to do anything alone or walk in front of a mirror. We needed something to comfort us after that, so we watched a couple episodes of the O.C., which Shannon Bradbury has on DVD. Quality programming.

SENIOR SHOUTOUTS
I am especially attached to this senior class, since I used to be a part of it prior to an injury. This entire shout-out section is dedicated to them. These girls have built this program and set a great example for the other players to come.

I know that everyone is going to give all they have, not just so we can play another game, but more importantly, so we can play another game with them. I usually avoid sentimental moments, but here is a little something each player has taught me.

Maureen Carey: Determination - She has worked so hard all four years. She had to play behind some talented upperclassmen such as Liz Boldt and Jocelyn Cavalier in her first couple years and then challenged Lauren Mason all last year. She stuck with it, and now this year she is at the top of her game. Mo continuously worked hard to earn a spot on the field as well as a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Arin Yarc: Perserverance - Nobody knows how to come back from an injury like Arin Yarc. This girl has had more knee surgeries than anyone I know, but she doesn't complain. She gets her rehab done and gets back. Yarc is amazing. She proves how much heart really goes into fitness After being scoped (again) and sitting out for over three weeks, Yarc came back and made all the fitness tests. And just for the record, if there is one person people don't want to go into a tackle with, it's her.

Meghan Dybvig: Leadership - There is so much I could say about Meghan and the way she plays, but I think the example she sets is just as important. She gives all she has, all the time. Dybs isn't one to yell, but she is the first one to pull the team together to motivate us. Playing soccer with Megs is easy because she is always working so hard. She gets to balls other people wouldn't even try for and she goes into every tackle other people would be scared to go into.

Lori Arnold: Responsibilty - Lori is responsible on and off the field. She comes in fit and strong every year. Arnold also gets it done in the classroom. She got into the prestigious 3-plus-2 program, in which she is already starting on her master's degree. Her time management is impeccable, always finding a way to get her work done. This is why she is not only a success in soccer, but she will be a success in life.

Crystal Rivas: Work Ethic - Crystal has been such a hard worker in all four of her years, not only working to make herself better, but also to make other people better. She provides us with a spark on the field whenever she is out there. She expects the most out of herself and out of other people. This kind of mentality drives everyone to play their hardest.

Seniors, we are all going to miss you so much. Let's make this last as long as we possibly can. Everyone, play every game like it's the last one ...you never know when it will be. BOILER UP!